Burglar-proofing device for coin changers



y y WW c. MONTGOMERY mm. 3,333,066

BURGLAR'PROOFING DEVICE FOR COIN CHANGERS Filed Nov. 20, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 HGURE 6 (Carroll E. Mlonfgomery and (Clarence A. Wend/andf,

INVENTORS ATTORNEY Q. MQNTGOMERY ETAL 3,33%,Q66

BURGLAR-PROOFING DEVICE FOR COM I CHANGERS 3 Sheets-Sheet Filed Nov.

HGlU/RE F/iGURE 5 flarro/l E. Monfgomery and (Clarence A.

Wand/andf INJIENTORS H GlU RE .5

0. El, MONTGOMERY ETAL 3,3313% BURGLAR'PROOFINQ: DEVICE FOR COIN CHANGEFS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 20, 1964 HGURE 8 H (G UHE 7 INGURE II! F/I GURE INVENTORS Carroll E. Monfgomery and (Clarence A. Wendlgndf United States Patent 3,331,066 BURGLAR-PROOFING DEVICE FOR COIN CHANGERS Carroll E. Montgomery, N. 2623 Bowdish Road 99206, and Clarence A. Wendlandt, E. 13221 Trent Ave.

99216, both of Spokane, Wash.

Filed Nov. 20, 1964, Ser. No. 412,675 3 Claims. (Cl. 340-474) This invention relates generally to a burglar-proofing device for automatic coin changing machines, and more particularly to such a device that prevents the immobilization of the operating rod pawl of a coin changer by insertion of resilient bands of steel through the coin channel and annunciates the happening of such attempted tampering.

Automatic coin changing devices have come into general use in association with the advent of various coin operated automatic service and merchandise vending machines. Such machines from their nature are most generally placed in circumstances where they are either completely or substantially unattended during most of the hours of their operation.

Because of the circumstances surrounding the environment of such machines, a substantially automatic coin changing device has become a necessity if this mode of operation is to continue. Several coin changers have be come known, but substantially all operate on the same principle. An individual coin changing machine is usually adapted to change one particular coin, and carries, within the machine, a reserve supply of the appropriate change coins. Upon insertion of the coin to be changed and manual operation of the changer, the appropriate change for that particular coin is deposited in a position accessible to the operator.

Obviously, for such a device to operate, it must contain a substantial amount of coins and because of this such changers have become a lucrative target of burglars, particularly of the sneak thief variety. The losses from burglaries have become quite substantial and the stopping of them has become of importance in the field.

Many means may be used to burglarize such machines and in the past many have become known. The most se vere of these involves some physically destructive means, such as: removal of the machine from its environment with later removal of coins, the physical smashing and disintegration of the machine in place, and the drilling or cutting of the case to gain access to contained coins. None of these methods has gained any particular popularity with average burglars, however, rather obviously because of the populated environment in which the machines exist and the obvious detectability of this type of activity.

More popular among coin changer burglars have been the sneak thief operations of depositing false coin, depositing coin on a string, using external magnets and other similar operations of a relatively undetectable nature. In the past, however, most of these methods of burglary have become known by the proprietors of the coin changer machines and various schemes, devices and apparatus have been developed to frustrate the efforts of such burglars.

The ingenuity of burglars continued, however, and losses continued to be sustained. It is with these continued losses that our invention is primarily concerned, for we learned that the continued pilferage has been accomplished by inserting a relatively long, thin band of ice steelsuch as an old-fashioned corset stay or the metallic stiffening member from a military hat-through the coin depositing slot, inserting it downwardly through the mechanism until it engages the operating pawl, and thence moving the band in such fashion that the pawl is rendered inoperative and the change-making handle may be freely turned to extract from the machine all the change therein contained.

It is the purpose of the instant invention to provide mechanical adaptations to frustrate this activity.

It also appears that the type of burglar performing this type of activity is primarily a non-professional of the sneak thief variety, and by his nature quite easily frightened by any devices that would indicate his activity or make it apparent to observers or possible observers. With this in mind, then, to further aid in protecting such devices, our invention combines with the aforesaid mechanical adaptations an alarm system triggered thereby, which will render a signal indicating the presence of the burglar, upon his further tampering. Such signal may be rendered so as to be obvious to anyone present in the immediate vicinity or may be transmitted to police or other authorities at a distance, and in either event will tend to hamper and discourage the burglarization.

With this background in mind, it is:

A principal object of our invention to provide mechanical apparatus ancillary to coin changing machines of commerce that prevents the burglarizing thereof by use of a thin, flexible steel band inserted in the coin slot, or otherwise through the mechanism thereof, to render the change lever pawl inoperative and thus allow pilferage of coins therein contained.

It is a further object of our invention to provide a device of the nature aforesaid that operates in co-operation with an alarm system to indicate the presence of a burglar or of his attempted tampering.

It is a further and additional object of our invention to provide a device of the nature aforesaid of new and novel design, of simple and economic manufacture and construction, and of great durability and use.

Other objects and advantages of our present invention will be apparent from consideration of the following detailed description of a specific embodiment of it.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the specification, and in which like numbers of reference refer to similar parts throughout:

FIGURE 1 is an orthographic front view, partially cutaway, of a composite coin changer having three individual coin changing units, showing the general positioning of the parts therein.

FIGURE 2 is an exploded isometric view of the pawl mechanism of an ordinary coin changer showing one of our mechanical blocking devices to prevent access thereto by a steel tape.

FIGURE 3 is an isometric view of the pawl cover properly showing its construction and configuration.

FIGURE 4 is an isometric view of the cover plate assembly of a coin changer of commerce showing the pawl cover and block bar (in dotted outline) in operating position thereon.

FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic representation of the electrical circuitry of our invention.

FIGURE 6 is an isometric view of an individual coin changing unit showing the various parts thereof, their relationship, and configuration.

FIGURE 7 is an orthographic side view of the tilting alarm of our invention showing its parts.

FIGURE 8 is an isometric view of the blocking bar, in place, showing the details of the alarm system associated therewith.

FIGURE 9 is an orthographic end view of the tilting arm illustrated in FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 10 is an orthographic view of the drilling plate of our invention showing its configuration.

FIGURE 11 is an orthographic cross-sectional view of FIGURE 10, taken on line 11-11 thereon, in the direction indicated by the arrows, showing the detailed construction and attachment of the drilling plate.

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, and particularly to that of FIGURE 1, a combination coin changer assemblage 10 is seen, comprising the external housing unit 11 carrying within it the three individual, independent coin changers 12. The housing 11 is most generally mounted on some structural building member or wall (not shown) where it will have rigid support and convenient access by patrons making use of it. Such housing 11 may be adapted for the use of any number of individual coin changing units 12, but the variety illustrated is most common, as it changes the common 50, 25 and 10 coins.

Each individual coin changer unit 12 is a retangular structure, as illustrated in FIGURE 6, with the lower baselike cash box 13 having access through the cash door 14. The forward portion of the base 13 has the change slot 15 through which change is passed. Extending upwardly from the rearward portion of the base 13 is the rear support 1 16, supporting the coin tubes 17 immediately forward thereof. Extending upwardly from the forward part of the base 13 is the forward coin acceptance assemblage 18, comprising the structural back support 19 carrying at its uppermost forward portion the coin chute assemblage 20, immediately therebelow the coin rejector mechanism 21, below this the channel coin chute 22 and below this, immediately above the base 13, the actuator assembly 23 having the forwardly projecting actuator nob 24 carried by the actuator shaft 25. The rejector pull rod 26 communicates between actuator assembly 23 and the coin rejector mechanism 21. All of this assembly is well known in the prior art and is essentially the same in most coin changer mechanisms of commerce.

A blown-up, partially cutaway version of a common type of actuator assembly 23 is partially shown, in its essentials, in the view of FIGURE 2. A proper coin appropriately inserted in the top coin chute proceeds by gravity through the machine in such a fashion that it finally activates the actuator pawl 27, and this in turn operates so as to allow the actuator cam 28 to turn in response to appropriate manual motion of the actuator nob 24 transmitted through the actuator shaft 25. Upon this happening, the appropriate change for the particular coin is deposited in the change slot 15. This operation is well known in the existing art and is used particularly in coin change machines made by Standard Change-Makers, Inc., of 422 E. New York St., Indianapolis, Ind.

It has been discovered in the past by burglars, and others who would take coins from such machines, that a relatively long, thin steel band of a flexible naturesuch as an old-fashioned corset stay or the hat band of a military hat-can be inserted through the upper coin chute 20 and down through the forward coin acceptance assemblage 18, in front of the structural support 58 and rearward of the rearward wall 29 of the channel coin chute 22. To come to this position, obviously, the metallic member must pass through the coin rejector mechanism between the members 29, 58, but its structure is such that this can be accomplished. The steel member then can be worked on down into the machine until it comes to a position wherein it prevents the actuator pawl 27 from coming into contact with the actuator cam 28 so that the cam 28 may be freely rotated by the actuator nob 24 without appropriate activation by a coin. This then allows the actuator nob 24 to be rotated to deposit change coins, upon the occurrence of each rotation, from the coin reservoir, and the machine may thus readily be relieved of all coins contained within the reservoir in a relatively short period of time and without any readily obvious activity or physical damage to the machine. The object of our invention is to prevent this happening.

In so doing we provide the upper rotatable barrier 30 and the appropriately shaped actuator pawl cover 34.

The upper rotatable barrier 30 is a plate-like member of rectangular shape, suflicient in size to completely block the opening between the wall 29 of the channel coin chute 22 and the forward side of the structural back support 19 of the forward coin acceptance assemblage 18.

This member 30 is hingeably supported upon the rod 31 rigidly attached near the side. of .the wall member 29 of the channel coin chute. This rotatable attachment is desirably by reason of the alarm feature of our invention hereinafter described, but obviously the blockage of this passageway could be as readily accomplished with a nonrotatable member. To accomplish rotation of the. member, we prefer to use a hollow cylinder 32 rigidly attached by welding 33 to the barrier member 30 and rotatably carried upon the support rod 31.

The actuator pawl cover 34 is the three-sided semi-boxlike member illustrated best in the isometric view of FIG- URE 3 and again shown in its. position of attachment in the view of FIGURE 4. This member 34 comprisesthe rearward forwardly-curving portion 35, side portion 36 and top portion 37 carrying the upwardly extending attachment bracket 38. This member 34 is attached tothe lowermost portion of the wall 58 and the back support19,

about the actuator pawl mechanism 27, asillustrated, to

prevent access of a long, narrow steel band as previously described from the change slot 15 through the mechanism assembly 23 into the actuator pawl 27 to accomplish the purpose aforesaid.

The upper rotatably barrier 30 and actuator pawl cover 34 heretofore described physically prevent access to the pawl mechanism so the pilferage may not be accomplished 1 from the machine by this route. It has been found convenient, however, to also provide such devices with an alarm system having various activators to indicate. any

disturbance of the machine as would occur in the process of potential pilferage.

A contact type, pressure activated switch 39 is associated with the upper rotatable barrier 30 to indicate, by

activation of the switch, any pressure from above upon this barrier 30. The switch 39 is of the ordinary variety of commerce having the outwardly extending normally open contact arms 40. Resting on these contact arms 40 is the downwardly projecting contact dog 41, structurally. com

municating with the undersurface of the upper rotatable barrier 30 as illustrated. The weight of the upper rotatable barrier 30 is such that the member 30 will normally rest upon the contact arms 40 without closing the contact;

external housing 11 of the changer machine. The body member 43 has the outwardly extending balance arm moveably supporting the pendulum type balance 45, which in turn rigidly carries the contact arm 46 normally positioned, when the pendulum 45 is horizontal, between the two contact members 47 carried as illustrated by the body 43. Should the activator be tilted slightly from the vertical position, the contact arm 46 will come into contact illustrated in detail in FIGURES and 11. This member comprises the drilling plate proper 49, hingeably supported by the piano hinge 50' carried by the rearwardly projecting support 59, on the rearward side of the forward wall 51 of the external housing 11. The drilling plate 49 has the rearwardly projecting contact dog 52 communicating with the rearwardly extended contact arms 53 of the normally open pressure activated contact switch 54, so that if inward pressure be exerted against the drilling plate 49 the contact arms 53 will complete a circuit through the alarm system. The drilling plate 49 also serves an additional purpose of physically preventing some drilling of the machine 10, for since it is moveable, if a drill be forced through the external housing 11 it will move the drilling plate 49 rearward at an angle, and in most probability the angular communication of the drill bit with the drilling plate 49 will cause a breakage of the drill.

The alarm circuitry of our invention is the simple battery activated circuit shown in the diagram of FIGURE 5. It comprises the bell or other similar alarm device 55 in series with the power source 56, preferably of the battery type, in series with the normally closed manually operable single pole maintenance and service switch 57. This circuitry then is wired in parallel with the three alarm devices 39, 42 and 48 immediately previously discussed. From this circuitry, as illustrated, it is obvious that when any one of the alarm devices activates to close the circuit controlled by it, the alarm 55 will activate (if switch 57 be closed). The maintenance switch 57 is a convenience to prevent activation of the alarm system when the machine 10 is being worked upon by a maintenance man. Obviously the alarm 55 could be any type of alarm device and could readily be adapted to give an appropriate signal to a nearby police station or other protector of some sort.

The alarm system can be adapted to coin changers having any number of individual units or to coin changers of many of the various varieties presently existing; the one set forth is particularly adapted for use with the coin changers manufactured by Standard Change-Makers, Inc.

The foregoing description is necessarily of a detailed, specific character so that a specific embodiment of our invention may be clearly set forth; it is to be understood that various rearrangements of parts, multiplications thereof and modifications of detail may be resorted to in connection with the invention without departing from its spirit, scope or essence.

Having thusly described our invention, what we desire to protect by Letters Patent, and,

What we claim is:

1. In an enclosed coin changing machine of the type aforesaid, having an externally communicating, forwardly positioned coin acceptance assemblage with a structural back support carrying in its upper forward portion a coin chute communicating by a coin channel with a gravity operated coin rejector assembly immediately therebelow, said coin rejector assembly in turn communicating by a coin channel with a manually operated pawl type actuator assembly below said coin rejector assembly, with an externally communicating change exit and a change reservoir associated with said pawl type actuator assembly, said change reservoir adapted to provide change in said change exit for a coin deposited in said coin changing machine upon manual operation of said pawl type actuator assembly, the invention comprising, in combination:

a horizontal, hingeably cantilevered, vertically pivotable, planar-like upper barrier carried in a void between the coin chute channel of the coin rejector mechanism and the rearward structural back support, by the structural back support, in normal horizontal operative position by communication with a resilient portion of an underlying barrier alarm switch, said upper barrier adapted to prevent access of a flexible elongate member from the said coin chute, through the operative mechanism, and to the operating pawl assembly below said upper barrier; and

a pawl cover of box-like structure located on the lower portion of said structural back support, and about said pawl actuator assembly, to substantially prevent access to said pawl actuator assembly from the change exit associated with such assemblage.

2. In an enclosed coin changing machine of the type aforesaid, having an externally communicating, forwardly positioned coin acceptance assemblage with a structural back support carrying in its upper forward portion a coin chute communicating by a coin channel with a gravity operated coin rejector assembly immediately therebelow, said coin rejector assembly in turn communicating by a coin channel with a manually operated pawl type actuator assembly below said coin rejector assembly, with an externally communicating change exit and a change reservoir associated with said pawl type actuator assembly, said change reservoir adapted to provide change in said change exit for a coin deposited in said coin changing machine upon manual operation of said pawl type actuator assembly, the invention comprising, in combination:

a horizontal, hingeably cantilevered, vertically pivotable, planar-like upper barrier carried in a void between the coin chute channel of the coin rejector mechanism and the rearward structural back support, by the structural back support, in normal horizontal operative position by communication with a resilient portion of an underlying barrier alarm switch, said upper barrier adapted to prevent access of a flexible elongate member from the said coin chute, through the operative mechanism, and to the operating pawl assembly below said upper barrier;

a pawl cover of box-like structure located on the lower portion of said structural back support, and about said pawl actuator assembly, to substantially prevent access to said pawl actuator assembly from the change exit associated with such assemblage; and

an alarm system embodying an electric circuit having an annunciator in series with a power source, both in series with a normally closed service switch and all in parallel with at least one normally open alarm switch, comprising:

aforesaid upper barrier switch adapted to activate upon downward pivotal motion of said upper barrier thereagainst.

3. In an enclosed coin changing machine of the type aforesaid, having an externally communicating, forwardly positioned coin acceptance assemblage with a structural back support carrying in its upper forward portion a coin chute communicating by a coin channel with a gravity operated coin rejector assembly immediately therebelow, said coin rejector assembly in turn communicating by a coin channel with a manually operated pawl type actuator assembly below said coin rejector assembly, with an externally communicating change exit and a change reservoir associated with said pawl type actuator assembly, said change reservoir adapted to provide change in said change exit for a coin deposited in said coin changing machine upon manual operation of said pawl type actuator assembly, the invention comprising, in combination:

a horizontal, hingeably cantilevered, vertically pivotable, planar-like upper barrier carried in a void between the coin chute channel of the coin rejector mechanism and the rearward structural back support, by the structural back support, in normal horizontal operative position by communication with a resilient portion of an underlying barrier alarm switch, said upper barrier adapted to prevent access of a flexible elongate member from the said coin chute, through the operative mechanism, and to the operating pawl assembly below said upper barrier;

a pawl cover of box-like structure located on the lower portion of said structural back support, and about said pawl actuator assembly, to substantially prevent access to said pawl actuator assembly from the change exit associated With such assemblage; and

an alarm system embodying an electric circuit having an annunciator in series with a power source, both in series with a normally closed service switch and all in parallel with normally open alarm switches comprising:

at least one drill plate switch adapted to activate upon inward pivotable motion of a planar drill plate hingably mounted, for inward motion adjacent one of the inner surfaces of said coin changer case; and

a pendulum type tilt switch mounted within said coin changer case to close upon predetermined tilting motion of said case.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/ 1919 McQuarrie.:

NEIL C. READ, Primary Examiner.

R. M. GOLDMAN, D. L. TRAFTON,

Assistant Examiners. 

1. IN AN ENCLOSED COIN CHANGING MACHINE OF THE TYPE AFORESAID, HAVING AN EXTERNALLY COMMUNICATING, FORWARDLY POSITIONED COIN ACCEPTANCE ASSEMBLAGE WITH A STRUCTURAL BACK SUPPORT CARRYING IN ITS UPPER FORWARD PORTION A COIN CHUTE COMMUNICATING BY A COIN CHANNEL WITH A GRAVITY OPERATED COIN REJECTOR ASSEMBLY IMMEDIATELY THEREBELOW, SAID COIN REJECTOR ASSEMBLY IN TURN COMMUNICATING BY A COIN CHANNEL WITH A MANUALLY OPERATED PAWL TYPE ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY BELOW SAID COIN REJECTOR ASSEMBLY, WITH AN EXTERNALLY COMMUNICATING CHANGE EXIT AND A CHANGE RESERVOIR ASSOCIATED WITH SAID PAWL TYPE ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY, SAID CHANGE RESERVOIR ADAPTED TO PROVIDE CHANGE IN SAID CHANGE EXIT FOR A COIN DESPOSITED IN SAID COIN CHANGING MACHINE UPON MANUAL OPERATION OF SAID PAWL TYPE ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY , THE INVENTION COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: 